by BAR editor and senior columnist Margaret Kimberley
If the Republicans are so dumb, why are they winning? Clearly, the “know-thing” party understands some things a lot better than the Democrats – including the actual workings of race and racism in America. Meanwhile, the Democrats seem incapable of self-help. “Just one legislative triumph for working people would have been enough to give Democrats a margin for victory.”
Freedom Rider: In Praise of Republicans
by BAR editor and senior columnist Margaret Kimberley
“Republican racism is not at all subtle.”
It is difficult to think of anything good to say about the Republican Party. During the civil rights movement the Republicans made themselves the white people’s party, acting in direct opposition to any and all civil rights legislation. The southern “Dixiecrat” Democrats eventually all became Republicans and solidified that party’s appeal to white America.
Republicans in Florida stole the 2000 election for George W. Bush, who received fewer popular votes than his rival Al Gore. They were able to achieve this feat by preventing eligible Democrat voters in that state, mostly black, from casting their ballots. Republican racism is not at all subtle, and now the demonization of immigrants and Muslims is used to energize that party’s base of support. Moderate Republicans have long been silenced and know that they must be anti-abortion, anti-immigrant and anti-affirmative action if they are to have any political success.
Yet for all their open appeals to racism, and blatant calls for American violence around the globe, the Republicans are clearly the smarter of the two major parties in this country. Beginning in 2006 it became clear that their brand was damaged and a Democratic victory in 2008 looked certain. Barack Obama did win and brought with him majorities in both the House and Senate.
“Republicans operate on the premise that relentless attack will eventually weaken their opponents and they have been proven right with this strategy time and again.”
But the Republicans never accepted their defeat. They operate on the premise that relentless attack will eventually weaken their opponents and they have been proven right with this strategy time and again. Republicans make it clear that Democratic presidential victories mean nothing. Not one Republican supported Bill Clinton’s deficit reduction plan. They defeated Democrats in the 1994 congressional elections and forced Clinton to govern by veto and acquiescence. Years later, not one Republican supported Obama’s health care plan, and even some congressional Democrats saw the handwriting on the wall and voted no as well.
Before Obama ran for the presidency, he claimed to want single payer health coverage, Medicare for all. As he famously said, “Everybody in, nobody out.“ Those words were forgotten on the campaign trail and as president he made sure that single payer was off the table. Big pharma had a seat at that same table in congressional and White House negotiations, but advocates for single payer were literally not allowed into the decision making process. Physicians were actually arrested at a Senate Finance Committee hearing when they protested the exclusion of single payer experts.
While the Obama administration spent a year bailing out the insurance industry and making deals with the big pharma, Republicans were hard at work discrediting the plan. The end result didn’t address the problems of the uninsured and underinsured, and as nature truly abhors a vacuum, Republican obstruction ruled the day.
“Obama and the Democrats weren’t willing to fight back.”
It didn’t matter to Republicans that they really had no ideological reason to oppose the Obama plan. Rush Limbaugh may have been unique in openly saying that he wanted Obama to fail, but the rest of his party was in lockstep. They mobilized their base to confront members of Congress in town hall meetings, made up lies about “death panels,” created the catchy phrase Obamacare and used the Democrats’ timidity to make their case.
While Republicans never let up in opposing anything Obama advocated, Obama and the Democrats weren’t willing to fight back. Democrats have their greatest political success when they speak to voters concerns about their very survival. The collapse of the housing market, unemployment, and foreclosures are all uppermost in the minds of Americans, but the Obama administration was too busy preening about modest successes and invoking the dreaded specter of Tea Party triumph. The Tea Party, a well marketed phrase for the Republican right wing, made political demands on the Republicans and emerged victorious in primaries across the country.
“Obama and his staffers relentless belittled or ridiculed anyone who criticized them.”
Just one legislative triumph for working people would have been enough to give Democrats a margin for victory. Instead Obama and his staffers relentless belittled or ridiculed anyone who criticized them. Press secretary Robert Gibbs said that Obama critics should be “drug tested.“ They missed opportunities to engage their base, while the Republicans used the “ground zero mosque” and fears of Mexican “anchor babies” to keep their based engaged in any issue which might be identified as a republican talking point.
On Election Day, the Democrats barely held on to the Senate and lost control of the House of Representatives. Senate minority leader Mitch McConnell made it clear that defeating Barack Obama in 2012 is his main goal. The Republicans disciplined message emerged triumphant, and they will now be able to not only insult Obama but obstruct his every move if they wish. If the Republicans are stupid, and the Democrats are smart, then we should all wish for a good dose of stupidity.
Margaret Kimberley's Freedom Rider column appears weekly in BAR, and is widely reprinted elsewhere. She maintains a frequently updated blog as well as at http://freedomrider.blogspot.com. Ms. Kimberley lives in New York City, and can be reached via e-Mail at Margaret.Kimberley(at)BlackAgandaReport.com.
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Dr. Jemima Pierre is a professor in the African American Studies and Anthropology Departments at UCLA.
